LGBTQIA – Let’s talk about the I. Intersex: What does it mean?

LGBTQIA… Today’s society is all about inclusivity and acceptance. Since the first step toward acceptance is understanding, let’s talk about the I in that acronym. The I stands for intersex – a commonly misunderstood gender identity.

Intersex is actually biological in nature. Sometimes babies are born with ambiguous gender traits, a “mix-and-match” of body parts – for example, an otherwise female-looking baby with an abnormally large penis-like clitoris, or a baby with both a penis and a set of ovaries. Intersex can also result from the deviation from the typical XX and XY chromosome pairs. Sometimes during conception an extra chromosome sneaks in and the result is either XXY or XXX. The extra chromosome results in hormonal changes that might lead an individual to present as a gender different from what their sex organs are.

You might think this identity is rare, but it’s actually quite common. In fact, about 1 in 200 people are intersex – the same amount of the population that are redheads! Being intersex is perfectly natural and nothing to be ashamed about. Realizing how common intersex is just highlights the fact that our binary “male or female” classification system is sorely outdated. Accepting intersex as a valid gender identity is a big step toward empowering our non-binary friends and family to be who they are. And always remember, even if someone appears to be one gender, it’s important to always ask for preferred pronouns. This creates an inclusive atmosphere and allows LGBTQIA people to seen and respected.